The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1887-10-13

Fall Text of His Speech Before
the Tennessee Reunion
AT Springfield, SEO.

hH Spring MShNs NAU.
The following is Hon A. A. Taylor's
speech at the Reunion Of Tennessee
ans in Springfield, Mo, September
f22nd, 1887, taken from the Springfield
Herald
Gen. Holland introduced Col, A A.
Taylor, who spoke as follows
My FeliOac Countrymen:
There are many things to excite in
our bosoms to-day, as Tennesseeans,
Missourians, and citizens of the Fed
eral Union, feeling of profoundest
gratitude. The countless benefactions
of the past, the merciful surroundings
of the present, the beckoning hopes
OF the future, vigorous life, bouyant
health, . throbbing aspirations for
better and more prosperous career be-
yond and all the inestimable blessings
OF a great free government bounding
forward on II tidal wave Of unparalleled
ed and magnificent development bas-
ed upon the everlasting foundations
of solid God-given christian civiliza-
ton profound peace, the respect OF
all nations, broad and material pros
perity at home--all these, and thou
sand other blessings included, demand
our sincerest mutual congratulations,
and challenge our most earnest and
honest thanksgiving. But while We
are extremely grateful to the benign
Creator for all these favors, to what
and to whom are we next indebted for
the comforts and refnements Of our
splendid civilization of to-day?
To what and to whom are we indebt-
ed for vast wealth distributed through
out our land? To what and to whom
are we indebted for the marvellous pro-
gress of the age, and the wonderful
development of our country?
| answer that, " lille capital is enti-
tied to due honor for having perform
ed its part, we are most indebted to
labor, and to the workingmen of the
times. | mean the men who work
with their hands, and men who work
with their brain. And yet notwith-
standing this fact which cannot be de-
MED, is it not strange to you that there
has ever been from time immemorial,
: a fierce, continuous and bloody war
fare on the part ofpower against labor?
, Power in various forms, for instance,
, in the form Of political organizations
of numbers brute force, or all combin-
ed, has made labor its henchman, its
serf, its slave, in every land Wrestling
J it from its legitimate channels of pro
{ gress and development and applying
its energies to purposes ofpersonal ag-
grandizement. This struggle is the
! fruit of conflict of ideas upon ques
tions underlying the superstructure Of
all human society and government
, and the parties to it are but the parti
: sans respectively of these antipodaI
! ideas. Imperialism, royalty, absolut
, ism, every form of arbitrary power
| plants itself upon the arrogant as
| sumption that man is incapable O
} self government, and is, therefore
s born to be governed. Intelligent, self
: reliant labor, on the other hand, or
t ganized in the community or com
4 monwealth or republic, rests on tn,
a idea of mans capacity for, and inhe
: rent indeleasible right to self govern
; ment. The antagonism between thes'
r two ideas, has cursed the world will
/. countless wars, and deluged the eartl
= with blood. Strange as it may seen
r to us, the mass of history is but a mar
r rative OF these wars. Almost always
: victory has perched upon the banne
Y OF power, yet still honest labor, taxed
prosecuted, crushed and bleeding, ha
survived, found ever II home some
where, fostering friends, and the pro
4 lection of its great author,
e 1t is a painful truth that tsycophanti
historians have gilded the crimes O
8 kings and conquerors and have ofte
j. corruptly derived the prosperity ant
, advancement of nations from the roy
al lines OF their own princely patrons
Y 1t is lamentably y true, also, that falls
e philosophers too often ascribe to tn
J. besotted authority, civil, or ecclesiast
q cal, beneiicent national results, du
If alone to the painful, patient efforts ,
modest persevering workingmel
Is Yet here and there spark OF trut
o flashes out occasionally on our patl
e way, enough to reveal the fact thu
v all the great benefactions e. earth al
due, not to the sanguinary tyrant
1t who claim the divine right to COVER
sr the millions and murder at WILL bt
le to the obscure, oppressed downtrOo
a den and irrepressible wcrkingmen
all ages. Pride, ambition and avanc
clothed with power, armed with al
in thority, and embodied in royal d
d, nasty, have ever been to strugglir
j. humanity the incarnation OF diabc
ism. Power, like the intoxicatir